Why is Allomancy of Preservation?

[Bugsy]

One of the major points of the book is that Preservation cannot create without the assistance of Ruin and vice versa, so why is there a net gain in Allomancy? Logically, Feruchemy, which has no net gain but rather preserves energy for a later date, seems much more aligned with Preservation than Allomancy, which has an increase in power. 

 

The applications of the 2 powers also makes Feruchemy appear to be more of Preservation. For example, Feruchemy allows for the storage of memories over long periods of time while Allomancy is mainly used for fighting and destruction. Allomancy also utilizes the power of Ruin when atium is burned, rather than all power coming from Preservation.

 

Finally, Allomancy consumes the metals that are used as fuel, which is in alignment with ruin, while Feruchemy can reuse metalminds and causes no true damage to them.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Bugsy6912

[natc]

The metal doesn't technically disappear, it turns into . . . something else we do not know about.

In using an external source of power the innate investiture of the allomancer, what he has naturally, is preserved. Unlike feruchemy, which actually ruins your innate investiture temporarily (but preserves it in a different form). Hemalurgy is controlled destruction of investiture in the soul to transfer it into another entity in an ever-decaying form.

[Voidus]

The metal doesn't technically disappear, it turns into . . . something else we do not know about.

In using an external source of power the innate investiture of the allomancer, what he has naturally, is preserved. Unlike feruchemy, which actually ruins your innate investiture temporarily (but preserves it in a different form). Hemalurgy is controlled destruction of investiture in the soul to transfer it into another entity in an ever-decaying form.

Maybe, or maybe it does disappear, there were some conflicting WoBs on the subject.

But the Shards intent influences how the power is gained, not how it is used. Allomancers gain theirs by Snapping, they need to preserve themselves in order to access their latent abilities. Hemalurgists need to ruin something to gain a spike, feruchemists presumably do something but we have no idea where feruchemy came from so it's a little hard.

[DeadFencer]

There's some WoBs on the metal regenerating in some way. Also the MAG has feruchemy as not needing anything before use: any feruchemist could technically use it at birth.

[Quiver]

The applications of the 2 powers also makes Feruchemy appear to be more of Preservation. For example, Feruchemy allows for the storage of memories over long periods of time while Allomancy is mainly used for fighting and destruction. Allomancy also utilizes the power of Ruin when atium is burned, rather than all power coming from Preservation.

 

I'd actually contest this, to be honest. Yeah, allomancy has mostly been used for combat... but then, it's been put in the hands of criminals, freedom fighters, and sherrif's. The point of views we see are those which are more naturally inclined to use it in martial situations.

 

...Not to mention the simple point of 'human nature'. We know that Scadrian's will develop FTL in the duture, and -we assume- allomantic shenanigans will be responsible for that. So... just because we haven't seen allomancy used for creative purposes so far doesn't mean it will never be. 

 

The Wax/Wayne era is probably the first chance allomancy has had a chance to actually be more than 'just a knife', since it's a (relatively) stable period of time without a Dark Lord looming over everything enforcing the status quo... but we're following a character whose job requires the more destructive applications of allomancy than someone else might. I imagine as the Mistborn era's develop, we'll start seeing more of allomancy being used to build, rather than to destroy. 

[Edgedancer]

I'd actually contest this, to be honest. Yeah, allomancy has mostly been used for combat... but then, it's been put in the hands of criminals, freedom fighters, and sherrif's. The point of views we see are those which are more naturally inclined to use it in martial situations.

 

...Not to mention the simple point of 'human nature'. We know that Scadrian's will develop FTL in the duture, and -we assume- allomantic shenanigans will be responsible for that. So... just because we haven't seen allomancy used for creative purposes so far doesn't mean it will never be. 

 

The Wax/Wayne era is probably the first chance allomancy has had a chance to actually be more than 'just a knife', since it's a (relatively) stable period of time without a Dark Lord looming over everything enforcing the status quo... but we're following a character whose job requires the more destructive applications of allomancy than someone else might. I imagine as the Mistborn era's develop, we'll start seeing more of allomancy being used to build, rather than to destroy. 

Like most things it is a tool, although its nature does make Allomancy more suited for more violent purposes we also could use it for therapeutic purposes.

 

Then again, if we want to discuss secondary attributes like that (even though we probably shouldn't) there's how using Allomancy wrongly can straight up kill you instead of preserving you, while using Feruchemy seems to be perfectly safe.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Edgedancer

[Quiver]

I'll preface this by saying, I haven't read anything of Bands of Mourning or Secret History yet...

 

But while Feruchemy seem's generally safer, I'm sure that abusing that system could produce some side-effects. Wayne has to be sick to store up health, doesn't he? So, if he just tap's metals to cure himself, couldn't that cause trouble for his immune system?

 

Granted, that's wild speculation on my part, and Feruchemy is certainly safer, in that individuals seem less likely to kill themselves by accident while using it... but most of the characters we've seen using it (Sazed, Wax) have had Terris traditions regarding not flat-out breaking the system drilled into them. I imagine it's possible to kill yourself using Feruchemy it's just probably extremly difficult, to the point where doing so could probably be classified as suicide because you went out your way to outright break the system. 

Edited February 12, 2016 by Quiver